About Us

Sol:

Becky and I met while at Durham University volunteering for ‘Nightline’; a listening support service run by students, for students. Back in London and after a year and a half working at a charity running Social Action and Sustainability projects and events, I knew it was the right time for an adventure on the bike that was more challenging than the daily commute.

I have never been to South America, and other than a few day rides, I’ve never really cycled very far either. All this has made it difficult to imagine what this adventure has in store for us. What I do know is that I’m excited about learning more about how other people live, and indulging the passions I developed while studying in Sustainable Development. I imagine the next few months will bring out more questions than answer the ones I already have so it’s hard to know what my next step will be when back in the UK. All the more reason to go.

Becky:

Sol and I first started imagining a trip like this when we were walking the Thames Path (which we really recommend!) and since then, the initial idea for a year living in South America and a year in the Middle East somehow became a thousands-of-kilometres long cycle ride down the Andes. Although we are (very) amateur cyclists (I am hoping to mitigate this by always cycling in Sol’s slipstream), we love the idea of cycling because of the people we will meet on the way, and a greater appreciation of the distance, the landscape and the lifestyles we will come across.

I first became interested in South America when studying French and Spanish at Durham, and since living for a year in Chile have been waiting to return. After three years working in currency sales in London, it felt like the right time to make the leap. When we get back, I’m hoping to to work with underprivileged children on equality of opportunity, and I don’t doubt South America has a fair amount to teach us if we look in the right places.